DeTomaso Mailing List: October 98, Message #167

We Swedes are known to be creative, the members of the Swedish DeTomaso 
Club are no exception. I would like to report an unusual, but very 
effective, way of solving the overheating problems the Pantera is known 
for. There are some drawbacks to this solution but it is only in the 
preliminary testing stages so it will surely be sorted out in the future:

A members father took the day off last week to prepare their -72 Pantera 
for the winter. He was to move the car to the washing garage under their 
normal garage through a twisty passage. Well, the worst scenario came true! 
He lost it and continued across the road straight down into the river with 
the driver still trapped inside. The car was completely covered by water. 
The driver was able to get out with no problem and got help from a 
neighbors wife to get out of the water. After one hour the car was lifted 
out of the river. A local workshop started with three people the same 
Friday evening to dismantle the car completely. There were some scratches 
along the side of the car, but otherwise it is undamaged. It was time for a
total respray anyway. All parts with grease or oil inside are dismantled 
andthe grease/oil is changed. They will probably change all instruments and 
there are some doubts about the rest of the electrical system. Time will 
tell.

The father and son are still friends and there were no hard feelings when I 
talked to the owner a few days ago. Though I guess the father has to 
promise to use sponges the next time he washes the car.

The accident was reported in the largest newspaper in Sweden and even on 
text-TV though that message said it was a Spanish sports car (argh!).


/Bjorn Carlsson, Sweden